Nice Machinery
by FanfictionForSantana
Summary: Naoto tries to catch up to a gang to ask them a few questions about various occurences, but only captures one member for interrogation. As Naoto tries to retrieve some answers for the police force in Inaba, something else grabs her attention instead. Perhaps it could be what this "machine" encases... (NaotoxAigis)
1. Chapter 1

She was in hot pursuit.

It wasn't often that she was assigned a job like this, but if it meant for the better of Inaba, Naoto Shirogane would never turn down a bit of detective work. After all, she was far better than the police force and it was a surprise that they even asked for her help in the first place. Stuff like this would always get her adrenaline pumping… that and perhaps being around the leader of the Investigation Team. Nobody else ever made her feel nervous or make her face hot, after all.

Until now.

"Stop right there! I'm warning you!"

She cried out verbal commands, but the group of people ceased to stop. She couldn't really make out who they were: a tall man wearing a cape of some sort, a person wearing a large heavy coat ('how do people even WEAR those huge things', she thought), and an ominous figure that made large clanks on the ground with every step. She didn't know who they were, but since they started running when she just wanted a few questions, she deduced that they were of some type of gang and proceeded to go after them.

This work was dangerous too. You never knew who you would run into, and alone as a young girl no less. It was just another reason why she liked impersonating a male because it was less likely that something would happen. Besides, she always worked best when she was alone. Nobody else bothering you, no one asking if the case was over yet, no person asking what anything meant; just her. And that's how she liked it best.

"I didn't want it to come down to this, but since you will not comply…!"

She was relieved she brought that damn thing; it was a net gun. Yeah, a net gun! Yu Narukami actually bought it for her for her birthday. To be honest, it was a bit clunky and sort of heavy, but he insisted that she try the gun on him and it worked amazingly. She was terrified at first for fear of hurting him, and after her shriek of the gun going off and the net strings flying around him, she heard him laughing up a storm. It was a great moment, and one she wouldn't forget. But now wasn't the time to be laughing at old memories; now was business.

She pointed the gun straight in front of her and shot; POW!

Out came the net and captured one of the ones running. Down they went with a grunt and a loud CLANG! It sounded like a metal pipe hitting the ground.

"Keep running! Do not stop, I will catch up later!" A voice came from the fallen being. 'Ah, perhaps a female,' Naoto thought, 'It at least sounded kind of feminine…'

"B-But Aigis…!" another voice cried. That was definitely a feminine cry.

"Just go!"

As Naoto finally caught up with the captured… girl? The other two members fled, much to her chagrin. She sighed in annoyance and looked down at what she had caught. She felt around in her jacket pocket for a mini flashlight and turned it on, shining down below where she stood.

It appeared to be a girl, but also something much more. Naoto was partly confused, "Who are you?"

"I am wondering that about you as well," she replied blankly, in almost a robotic tone.

Something about this intrigued Naoto. It was quite ambiguous for her to tell what exactly she was looking at and the mystery only made her more interested. She kneeled down to get a closer look, "Tell me… what exactly ARE you?"

"I am no human if that is what you are asking."

She was slightly stunned after that; perhaps it was the darkness of the late evening, or maybe it was the hypnotic tone of this robot's voice, but for whatever reason, she had this strange feeling clinging over her. She shook it off for a moment or two and went straight back to business, "I have a few questions to ask you. You'll have to come with me now. You can't escape,"

The girl stood but couldn't run, as she was cloaked in a tight net, "I have no intention of running away. Please take me where you must,"

Naoto cuffed the girl the best she could and held her arm, guiding her back the way from which they came. As she was grasping her arm, she noticed it was cold and metallic… was she really not human like she said she was? Naoto sighed. She was always incredulous to instant information given right on the spot; how could you trust someone's words so easily? It was almost like common sense.

Suddenly, the girl started to glow a calm shade of pale yellow that brightened the immediate area around them. Naoto was quite surprised and even shuddered away a little, always alert to tricks up a criminal's sleeve. This wouldn't be the first time someone tried to out-smart her.

"Do not be alarmed, for I am simply using my own light to guide our way. Your flashlight may be of use to you in the future,"

"… Alright then," Naoto regained her composure with a clearing of her throat and continued taking in the strange girl. Well, that was new. An android that just turned into a giant flashlight. It was a nice gesture for her not to want to waste Naoto's battery, but it only raised even more questions. By now, there was enough light to take a good glance at the girl; tall, blonde, and shiny metal that seemed to cover her body. She definitely looked lifelike so it was easy to mistake her for an actual human being. Something about her seemed… quite different. Perhaps it was the ambiguity or that her eyes were too bright of a shade of blue, or maybe it was because they were alone in the dark on the streets of Inaba.

Naoto gazed at the arm she was grasping; there appeared to be wide cylindrical mechanism on her forearm. Peeking a bit closer, there were numerous buttons and turrets and other fascinating gadgets that were blinking red in the night. She wondered what in the world those buttons did. After all, Naoto was quite a fan of robotics and science fiction, and the possibilities to do research on the girl herself would be quite astounding. She thought about it in her head… Naoto had almost forgotten that she was looking at her for too long until the girl broke the silence.

"I see you are admiring my physical weaponry,"

"!" Naoto was brought back to earth and sheepishly turned away, blushing at the embarrassment, "I must apologize. You have… nice machinery…"

Nice machinery…? What kind of words were those? She just blurted something out to give at least a fair explanation. Was she trying to give a compliment? Was she trying to play it off? Not even she knew. The girl didn't even sound like she was joking or anything; she just sounded blank and frank, as though it weren't an invitation to say anything more. She wanted to fade away and turn invisible.

"Nice… machinery…" the girl trailed off as if she were speaking to herself.

Needless to say, it would still be a bit of time before they reached the detective's office.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it!_

"I would ask if you would like anything to drink, but…"

It was the interrogation room, the same one in which Yu was held temporarily while his uncle was questioning him. Gray walls, a sturdy brown table, and two pathetic-looking metal chairs; the room was complete with a mini fridge and a small TV that only gave the local channels. Oh, home sweet home.

Naoto was standing just next to the fridge; it was always a polite gesture to ask those brought into questioning for a beverage. After all, if you wanted someone to tell you something, you had better be nice and offer something in return. It wasn't much, but it was enough to loosen up the person. However, she felt a bit foolish since she was offering drinks to a robot. She knew her mechanics pretty well to know that water and electricity never mix, but in order to stand by her basic detective knowledge, she did so anyway.

"Water will cool my machinery; it will do no harm to me if that is what worries you,"

The robot girl sat in the metal chair at Naoto's request without complaints. She looked blank, as if she were putting on some type of poker face. Naoto was not having any of those "poker face" shenanigans again. However… this scenario was quite different.

'Machinery… I said she had… nice machinery…'

Nice machinery it was, too. First her body became a giant glowstick and now it can withstand water?! Naoto kneeled down and opened the fridge, but her hands were a little shaky. How fascinating! An android that isn't short circuited by water… simply ingenious.

Naoto was always quite intrigued by robots. When she was younger, she used to have those little sets where you could build your own mini robot with just a few scraps of metal and a motor. She loved it to death, and each year she would try to build a bigger one. Of course, that was all years ago, but robots still amazed her.

And here right in front of her was a robot so lifelike that she genuinely believed her to be human at first glance. She wanted to investigate even more… she was just so curious about how everything could work so smoothly…

She grabbed a water pitcher and stood, also grabbing two plastic cups from atop the fridge. From all that running and her scrambling thought processes, she was parched herself. She poured the water and handed the girl her beverage first. The girl seemed less tense after drinking the cool water.

"Now that you're comfortable… shall we start from the beginning?" Naoto tried to forget all about the machinery mumbo jumbo for the moment. This was serious business. She spoke in a forward and concise manner, "State your name for the records, if you do not mind,"

*click*

Naoto always carried a recording device on her, and with a quick motion she swiped it from her jacket pocket and pressed the record button. She rested it on the table in front of the girl.

"Aigis," the girl replied.

"Aigis…? That is your name?"

"That is correct,"

Aigis… what a strange name. It was certainly unique. Though a name out of the blue, Naoto thought it seemed to fit her for some reason. Just her, no one else.

Naoto sipped her water sharply, erasing her curious thoughts, "Now tell me, why were you out on this night? I don't believe that you are aware of our curfew,"

"There was very crucial business for us to attend to,"

"What kind of business were you planning to handle tonight?" Naoto listened carefully. A slight shake in the words or a sense of emotion could make this case a lot easier. Maybe then, she could go home early for a change. She glanced quickly at the digital clock sitting atop the TV set; it read 12:36 AM in bold, neon green.

"That information is to remain confidential,"

Naoto internally grumbled. The girl didn't want to give any ideas of what she was doing… fair enough. The least Naoto could do would be to try and get some information of the other two involved then. Perhaps they'll actually talk because… well… they're actually human.

"What can you say about the two figures running in front of you? It was evident that you knew who they were,"

"They are my team members, as well as my friends,"

"Are one or both of them human, unlike you?"

"Correct. They are both human,"

Well, at least there weren't any more robots running around, Naoto thought. Inaba might not be ready for that kind of invention just yet. They're already starting to trust humans again, after all.

"And what team is this exactly? A sport's team, perhaps?"

"We are called SEES. We…" Aigis appeared to be trailing off, as if she were in thought. She looked like she was struggling slightly with words… was she trying to tell a lie?

Naoto leaned forward on the table and looked at her, attempting to confront her a little better, "What do you do as a team?"

Aigis looked up at Naoto, like she was a bit more surprised to be there. It was the first emotion she expressed all night. "We are, in a way, comparable to that of paranormal investigators," She seemed more comfortable once having put it like that, "We track down beings known as… shadows,"

Shadows…! Naoto was all too familiar with that term, and not fondly. It seemed so long ago that the Investigation Team beat the majority of the shadows a few months ago. Naoto shivered slightly at the thought of what they had to go through…

Naoto stood straight up and adjusted her collar, "I am familiar with these shadows of which you speak,"

Aigis' eyes seemed to light up a bit from the knowledge, "You know of the shadows…?"

"Unfortunately," Naoto sighed. The idea of shadows popping up again in the middle of the night disgusted her, and though it was nothing the Investigation Team couldn't handle, enough was enough of this shadow nonsense. She looked down at Aigis, who still looked surprised, "The two in front of you, your friends… you three must be Persona users, then,"

Naoto was able to put two and two together and realized that if she and the two others pursued the shadows, then they must be able to fight back at them. Aigis looked like she was finally figured out.

Naoto smirked a bit when the realization came to her. It also made her a bit relieved that they weren't just some hooligans running the streets and causing destruction. They were actually doing something to help after all.

"That being said, have you… ?" Naoto was starting off on another question before she felt something against her shoe, as though something were scratching at it. She trailed off her question and looked down. A rat was gnawing at the side of her shoe, and it looked quite angry.

Naoto yelped and jumped back quickly, careful not to step on the creature. However, instead of squeaking, it sounded like it was hissing. It scurried quickly to where she backed up.

She didn't want to kill a living thing, but the poor thing looked like it had rabies and it was leaving the questioning in contingency. She fumbled with the gun in its holster. Just as she released the gun from its protective grasp, there was a bright flash.

*ZAP, CRACK*

The room went white and Naoto closed her eyes tightly from the sudden, painful light. When a moment or two went by, she opened them back up.

On the floor was a dead, smoking rat. Naoto sighed in relief, but still winced. She looked up. Aigis was now standing, and her arm was smoking slightly. Her hand was missing… instead it was a giant barrel, and that was from where the smoke was emanating.

It appeared that Aigis had shot the rat.

"Do not be alarmed. I have killed the rodent for you,"

Her hand slowly replaced the open barrel, changing back into just what it looked like before. Naoto was a bit stunned… her arm turned into a gun too? What was with this girl anyway? Was she specially built to fight shadows? So many questions, so little time. Naoto cleared her throat and stepped forward, avoiding the rat.

"Yes, well… erm, thank you for that. He will need to be properly disposed of quickly if he had some sort of disease," Naoto quickly glanced around the room, but there was nothing of use for the situation at hand. She figured that the police would have protective gear in the lobby, as well as a number of boxes.

"… I shall return in just a minute. Please wait here and… do not touch that rat. We will need to work carefully and quickly to ensure our safety,"

"Understood," Aigis replied without worry.

Naoto rushed out the room to find a pair of gloves and perhaps a bag or a box to encase the rat. Aigis sat back down, unphased by the dead animal just a few feet away from her. She looked down at the hands in her lap, and recalled what had just happened in her memory banks.

"That shriek… I see…" Aigis mumbled to herself, "So she is female as well…"


	3. Chapter 3

"It must have scurried in the room while we were getting settled…"

Naoto had returned to the interrogation room, applying a blue latex glove to her hand before picking up the infected rat by its tail. She covered the majority of her face with the inside of her arm as she attempted to examine it. Its fur appeared as though it was gelled and rugged, and its eyes were a blazing red. It was definitely no ordinary rat, but that was all that could really be said.

Naoto was beginning to think a little more deep about it, "Whatever its goal was, it really wanted to get through to my skin. I wonder why…" She felt a new case coming on as she placed the rat inside a small cardboard box. But this had to wait for another time. She was already on a mission in the first place and though she made good progress, she didn't get all of her questions answered. She placed the box across the room and made her way back to the table at which Aigis sat, discarding the glove along the way.

"You and your friends, the team as you call it, all three of you are persona users,"

"That is… correct," Aigis replied hesitantly.

"I see… perhaps you are doing the same work that my group has been doing. This is what doesn't make sense to me," Naoto paused and slowly walked around the table in thought, "We had beaten all of the shadows in this area, solving these murder cases and defeating said mastermind after mastermind but if I hear you correctly, then you are stating that the shadows have returned?"

"It is not confirmed why or how this is happening. All we know is that we must stop ever-growing shadow numbers,"

Well, that was a bit obvious there. Naoto figured she couldn't get any more information about what the shadows were up to, at least for now, but it was enough for her to someday catch up to the other members of Aigis' team to explain the story a little clearer, as well as to tell the others of the Investigation team. Perhaps with their combined efforts, they could finally beat the shadows but she didn't even know if they wanted to assist in the first place. One step at a time, she supposed. For now, a little personal information about Aigis couldn't hurt.

The tape recorder continued to roll.

"I am going to ask you some questions about yourself, is that alright with you?" Naoto always got a kick out of this question. Most people who were brought into the interrogation room seemed mildly offended about this question in particular and it always gave a little tiny bit of a chuckle out of her every time, as if the person did something wrong and didn't want anyone to know who they were.

"There is not much to know, but I will comply,"

"It is evident that you are some type of robotic machine. When were you created?"

Aigis then briefly explained who created her, why they created her, and how she feels a bit more compassionate than your average robot. She recalled back willingly and seemed to smile at the mention of someone's name… what was it? Minato? Minako? She said it a bit faster than anything else so it was hard for Naoto to make out what she said. Still, Naoto was quite fascinated about her past. It was almost like she was reborn after she was fixed up the numerous times she battled. That was the thing about robots that Naoto kinda liked, you could always fix them. Though durable to the high heavens, they could break but it would be nothing more than a maintenance project. You could always rebuild them and fix the mistakes you made the first time around. Robots could get a second chance, humans couldn't. They could live on forever really, if they wanted to. But this robot… Aigis… she was different from other robots. She felt emotions and feelings that humans felt as well. Naoto wondered if perhaps she was a soul that was built into the robot. Breathtaking. Ingenious. It was just so… so…

"There are not many strangers willing to hear this story," Aigis smiled slightly, as if a little embarrassed but grateful to have someone to talk to in her time of questioning.

Naoto smiled, mostly in agreement but also because Aigis was smiling too, "I take my work very seriously. It is important to understand who exactly I am talking to and to erase the impersonal boundaries. Not everyone is willing to open up, especially to the police force,"

"What of you?"

"Hm… ?"

"What are you like?"

Naoto was a bit surprised at the question, considering no one brought into questioning ever gave HER the questioning!

"There… isn't too much interesting about me, to be honest,"

"There must be something unique about you," Aigis insisted, "You seem like a bright girl,"

"A-A bright… girl?!" Naoto turned away from her. She could tell that easily… she was a girl? Was she not being forward enough? Was her posture incorrect? Did her voice squeak at any point? Shit! Then again, she was dealing with an intelligent robot. She probably analyzed her without her knowing.

Being discovered as a female in the work force, in Naoto's opinion, took most of the respect and authority away. It was an awful fact, but true. She took pride in being noticed as a male because at least she'd have some respect and be taken seriously… though in retrospect, she wouldn't have received any anyway. She looked too young, and no one wants to listen to kids either, let alone females. She sighed in defeat.

"There is no need to be ashamed of your sex, if that is what bothers you,"

The reassurance gave Naoto a little boost of confidence as she turned back around, blushing slightly with embarrassment, "Yes, well… I have my reasons,"

"Please convey to me your reasons,"

Whatever the reason, Aigis seemed quite persistent to know a little more about Naoto and Naoto had to give the girl credit for seeing right through her but still wanting to know about her. It was strange really but she never knew anyone else who wanted to know so much about her… except for the group's leader, Yu. She acknowledged him in her mind and smiled, then began to tell Aigis about herself… how she grew up, why she conveyed herself as a boy, what her interests were, and so on. The deep, professional atmosphere soon calmed down to light, friendly conversation. Aigis still sat on a chair by the table, while Naoto eventually seated herself onto the table. Tension in the room seemed to be lifted and in the interrogation room, and that was all that could be asked for.

"Hobbies… what are those like for you?" Aigis persisted.

"Hobbies, you say?" Naoto thought a bit, "Well… I do enjoy reading quite a lot, mysteries mostly. I like solving puzzles or anything that is of stimulating brain activity," It was like she was at a job interview. She never knew how hard it was talking about oneself until now, "I like building machinery,"

"Nice machinery…" Aigis trailed off, as if in thought.

Nice machinery? What could she mean? Naoto thought for a minute and blushed when it came to her… she had almost forgotten that was one of the first things she mentioned to Aigis. She told her she had nice machinery.

"Tell me then…"

Oh boy… here we go. Naoto adjusted her hat and cleared her throat, expecting the worst.

"What kind of machinery... interests you?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Machinery..?"

It was a marvel, really. Asking people questions would never get under Naoto's skin, even if they were offensive or rude, but this one in particular really took her aback. She usually never took any questions or comments personally, but now it all suddenly seemed different.

Why does this specific question, of all questions, make her cheeks flare up?

… No, she thought, I can handle this. Treat this professionally, just like everything else.

"Well… I have interest in a variety of machinery. I have no singular interest, is what I'm trying to say. If I were not a detective, I would more than likely study in engineering,"

Aigis paused and looked to her hands for just a moment, as if restating the answer in her head. She looked at her palms, focusing on them in deep concentration. She almost looked like she forgot she had hands. After her personal pause, she looked back up towards Naoto's attention.

"Do you enjoy my machinery?"

!

Naoto's eyes went wide; that sure is a way to be blunt.

And who was supposed to be asking the questions here anyway?

"I-I beg your pardon?" voiced out a flustered Naoto. Her relaxed back had straightened up like a tree, and her hands gripped the edge of the table tightly.

Aigis seemed unphased at the repetition of her initial question, "My machinery. Is it to your liking?"

… No, I can't answer this, thought Naoto. This isn't a question that can be answered freely. This is crossing the boundary between officer and civilian. This is… unprofessional. I cannot answer this…

"I-I cannot answer that kind of question, Aigis," Naoto pushed out her answer, rocky at first but ending adamantly. Yes, that will do just fine. Let's go with that.

Something about Aigis' eyes flashed, as though she were not approving of Naoto's response, "If I am correctly remembering the past, I am certain that you had acknowledged my 'nice machinery,'"

"Then…! Why even ask such a question if the answer was already known…?!"

"So your opinion is still valid then, is it not?"

!

It was almost like playing a game of verbal chess, and Naoto was just checkmated. She thought she was a pro at this cat and mouse detective game by now, but she was proven wrong.

There was nothing left. It was obvious by this point. Naoto was wide-eyed and her face was on fire. The back of her neck was warm and the strain on her wrists from gripping was increasing. She lost. No more hiding.

She remembered one of the most significant lessons that was ever taught to her when she was a child, to tell the truth. When in doubt, honesty never hurt in a tight situation.

She took a deep breath.

"I… am quite fascinated by your mechanisms. I like robots and have always wanted to examine them at a deeper level," Naoto cleared her throat, "That being said, I am curious about you. That is all that I can say on the topic,"

Aigis tilted her head, as if a puppy trying to hear its owner better. Once the signal was transferred and processed, she seemed to understand, "Is there something that you would like to know about me?"

"I wouldn't necessarily have my own personal inquiries fulfilled simply by questions and answers. I would only want to see what there is on my own,"

"Do you mean observing how everything works rather than me explaining it to you?"

"Yes,"

Naoto was succinct and quick in her reply. Slowly her nerves regained control and her mind processes went back in equilibrium. She was starting to calm down. Surely, nothing could alter this feeling once again.

Aigis stood up, being just a tad taller than Naoto's sitting body on the table, "You may observe my machinery if that is what you would prefer,"

There it comes again, the rapid heartbeat. The flushed cheeks. The loss of breath.

"W-What? Aigis… No, I-I couldn't look at you in that way—"

"Please, it is not any trouble,"

Aigis seemed quite persistent on the idea. Naoto was almost envious; how was Aigis not feeling uncomfortable at the moment like she was? Oh, perhaps because she's a robot. She wondered briefly if she could feel embarrassed emotions.

"Isn't it… Well… Don't you feel self-conscious about people looking at a deeper part of you?"

Naoto _was _pretty darn curious, but she didn't know how Aigis would feel about it in reality. It may have been one of those ideas that sounded good on paper rather than practice. Looking into her mechanisms… wasn't that the equivalent of looking at somebody naked?

"Self-conscious? I do not understand what you mean, but I can assure you that I do not mind in any way. I have shown my machinery to others that I knew... in the past…" Aigis trailed off almost sadly, as though she remembered something she cared about.

"…"

Naoto didn't really know what to say. She was at a loss for words.

"Please, it is fine. If you are so curious, I invite you to examine me,"

Oh, now we have an ultimatum? Simply stunning. Naoto couldn't believe it. She couldn't, she really shouldn't… It would be so unprofessional to do such a thing under questioning.

"I-I… Well…" Naoto was clearly having an inner conflict, but her curiosity eventually overcame her. She gestured for Aigis to come closer to her and to turn around. Naoto figured she would remain on the table so that she could examine Aigis better. She cursed her short stature for forcing her to do stuff like this.

Aigis complied, standing close enough so that Naoto could properly see what needed to be seen, "There should be a latch over here. No, it's a little lower… yes, right there. It should have a safety on it, but it shouldn't be too hard for you to unlock,"

Though a foreign lock to her, it didn't take long for Naoto to open Aigis' back. Once opened, Naoto couldn't believe her eyes. Gears as far as the eye could see, and wires that would definitely shock a finger if touched. A circuit board was present as well as a few resistors attached to it. She was in awe, but she took it a step forward.

"Could you… Would you try moving your arm upward?"

Without question, Aigis did as she was told. As her arm elevated itself into the air, a number of gears moved to its response, and the wires stretched out. It was really a sight to see. Naoto couldn't be any more excited.

"This is…"

"Hm?"

"This is… amazing. Astounding, really," Naoto couldn't keep her words to herself.

"!"

For the first time since their acquaintance, Aigis sounded genuinely surprised at Naoto's words. It wasn't that anyone hadn't ever told that to her about her machinery; she didn't quite know why she was taken aback in all honesty. Either way, the feeling was there and she couldn't deny it.

"… Thank you,"

Naoto continued to ask Aigis to lift her arms, maybe her legs, and watched what would happen inside. She looked very impressed and was quite satisfied with Aigis' machinery. Suddenly, Naoto felt the urge to ask Aigis…

"Aigis…"

"Hm?"

"How do you… well…" Naoto struggled with how to put it, "You feel emotions, right…?

"To an extent, yes,"

"Where is the mechanism for your emotions…?"

"…"

"They aren't, erm… It isn't present back here, is it?"

"It isn't located in my back,"

With that said, Naoto began to close up the back of Aigis when she started speaking once more.

"My emotional sensor… it is located in my neck. I allowed one person to examine in before, but… they…"

Aigis' voice cracked. Naoto tilted her head behind her in confusion.

"I must apologize. It was a very special moment to me…"

Aigis wasn't sobbing, but artificial tears were forming on the sides of her eyes. Naoto couldn't see the tears from behind, but she had a feeling that the crack in the voice wasn't just a mistake, especially coming from an android. Naoto seemed to be a bit awkward when it came to people crying and being emotionally upset, so she wasn't quite sure of what to do. The least she could do was comfort her, but what could she do? She could have her talk about it? She could give her a hug?

…

Yeah, perhaps a hug could work. Naoto took Aigis from behind and hugged her gently, a soft hug but also enough that the point of comfort was there.

!

Aigis gasped softly at the hug, as though she weren't expecting it. She didn't wiggle away from it… she submitted to the warmth and scent of Naoto that was given to her. She hugged back the arms that were wrapped around her, an action clearly in gratitude.

"You need not to explain yourself, Aigis. Whatever happened in the past was important to you, and I acknowledge that. You do not have to prove or show anything to me about your emotions if you are uncomfortable with it,"

"Naoto… it is nothing like that…"

That was the first time Aigis really said her name seriously. Naoto liked the sound and vibrations it gave coming from her mouth. Her grip on Aigis became slightly tighter.

"I understand what it's like to… lose something from your past. It hurts, but… time never hurts in healing,"

"Naoto…"

Aigis' grip also tightened. She seemed to snuggle into the hands that Naoto had kept around her. For some reason or another, Naoto liked that feeling. She wanted to comfort Aigis, mostly because she could relate, but also it was because… there was something else? She couldn't explain it but there was another feeling that made her want to comfort Aigis. The two girls stayed cuddling before Aigis broke the silence.

"I am fond of your machinery as well, Naoto,"

"Hm…? But I don't believe I have any machinery…"

It took her a moment, but Naoto gasped in realization. Was this…? Could this be…? Was Aigis confessing her feelings? She couldn't be… after all, she was a robot. Could robots even feel emotions like crushes or love or heartbreak?

If that's the case then… wait, what? But… Aigis did know that Naoto was a female so, did that not bother her? Perhaps gender doesn't necessarily matter with androids so the fact that Naoto was a female was ultimately obsolete but… did Aigis think that Naoto's compliment was a confession of love?

Oh no… This can't be. This simply couldn't be true.

"A-Aigis…! What exactly are you trying to—"

"**_Naoto-kun!_**"

Just before Naoto could collect her thoughts and clear up a misunderstanding, one of the fellow police officers doing the night shift barged into the questioning room. She quickly pulled her arms from Aigis' grip, hoping not to be caught being personal with a civilian. Luckily for her, he didn't seem to notice; in fact, he seemed to have a lot more on his mind. He was alarmed with a cold sweat and a pale face. He clenched the sides of the open doorway and staggered his breaths. This can't be good.

"What is it?"

"N-Naoto-kun… You might want to come and see this. The entire town is…! H-Hurry, come quick!"

Aigis and Naoto switched glances at each other and instantly thought the same thing: shadows. Without another word, the two dashed alongside the officer to see what became of Inaba.


End file.
